You Can Be Strong
by Lycaon118
Summary: One Shot: Ron notices different bruises and scars on Hermione. Is there something behind her and Draco's relationship that she's not letting on?


**Disclaimer: Just so you all know… none of these characters belong to me… nor, unfortunately, will they ever**

**A/N: This is dedicated to all those woman and girls to show them you can be strong.**

"Draco… Draco please! NO! DRACO!" Hermione screamed as a thick hand stung her face leaving a mark and sending her crashing to the tiled floor. She saw a blonde figure towering over her as she slowly lost focus and consciousness.

"I can't watch this anymore 'Mione!" The redhead spat

"I'm sorry but I have no idea what you are talking about" she answered coolly taking out a compact mirror and wincing as she touched her bruised cheek.

"What do you mean you don't know what I'm talking about? You as hell know what I'm talking about!" he screamed.

"Calm down Ronald. It's not a big deal. I just fell off my bed and hit the dresser last night." she lightly swept some cover up on the wound.

"Oh like last week when you 'just walked into a door knob' or the week before when that knife 'just slipped across your hand'? Hermione I know what's going on!" Ron screamed at her.

"It's just me. Clumsy me right?" Ron sighed as Hermione grabbed her bag and scampered out.

"Where are you going?"

"Me and Draco have a date tonight."

"Hermione… please don't do this."

"I'm sorry Ron. I'm so sorry." Tears welled in Hermione's eyes as she turned away from her best friend and stalked bravely towards the exit.

"Hey beautiful." Draco said holding out a velvet heart-shaped box.

"Hello Draco." Hermione said in a monotone that Draco, luckily, didn't pick up.

"I got you something."

"You didn't have to."

"I wanted to." He shoved the box into her frail hands.

"Thank you," she answered opening the box. Sitting there was a beautiful diamond necklace, a sliver chain clung onto the stones glowing with clear crystals lining around. She looked at him, trying to see the once beautiful man she had fallen for. But when she looked into his eyes, they were cold and made of stone. She tried to see past the chilled ice and tried to see the good man who protected her and kept her from harm's way.

"Let's get going," he said hastily. Hermione followed, not knowing the consequences.

"Hermione. What have you done to yourself?" Ron whispered to the unconscious body laying the hospital wing. He then started weeping quietly a warm hand was placed on his shoulder.

"She'll be fine son. She's just a little beat up." Madam Pomfrey reassured him.

"Do you know what happened to her?"

"Well, Mr. Malfoy brought her in last night. Said she had a terrible fall down a flight of stairs the poor thing." Ron bit back a wrenching dry sob. "She should be feeling better in a couple of days though."

"Thank you ma'am. Can I stay with her for a while longer."

"Of course." The kind nurse answered walking back into her office. Ron got up in the bed with Hermione's life-less body and started whispering words of comfort to her until closing hour when the nurse regrettably asked him to leave her in peace.

Hermione sat up cringing as the pain came to her body. She was in the hospital. Why was she in the hospital? She reached up to the back of her head that was itching furiously. It was bandaged. She brought her hand back down and gagged as she saw crisp dried blood caking her hand. _Oh._ She thought. _That's why._ And then she remembered Friday night.

Ron slammed himself into Malfoy.

"You did that to her!"

"Move out of my way you filthy weasel."

"You hurt Hermione!"

"I did no such thing. She simply fell down the stairs. It was her own worthless mudblood fault." Draco said venomously.

"How dare you say that about her!" Ron roared.

"I don't think that our relationship is any of her business." Draco calmly stated, trying to walk away, but Ron held him back.

"It is my business! You are beating my best friend! The girl I love." Ron didn't realized how much truth was in those words until he uttered them.

"As cute as this is… get off me you freak!" Draco thundered shoving Ron to the ground, leaving the slim teenager to the mercy of Crabbe and Goyle.

"ARE YOU MORE OF MAN NOW MALFOY?" Ron yelled while getting a face full of Goyle's fist. Draco stopped in his tracks, "WHEN SHE FALLS TO THE FLOOR YOU MUST BE SO PROUD OF YOUR MANLY SELF!" Another strike he let out a whimper none of them could hear before screaming, "ONE DAY SHE _WILL_ LEAVE YOU MALFOY! SHE'LL GET SICK OF BEING BEATEN AND SHE _WILL _LEAVE! I PROMISE YOU!" Draco melted from his frozen state and turned to Ron with tears streaking down him face.

"SHUT UP!" He screamed, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! You know nothing of what I've been through. You know nothing about how much I love her. You know nothing about anything."

"You hurt her. You beat her. You physically abuse her!" Ron yelled.

"Die in a hole." Was Malfoy's response and he left.

"Hermione? You're awake!" Ron rushed to her side.

"What happened to you?"

"Would you believe me if I said I fell down the stairs?" Ron said seriously.

"Ron don't start this again…"

"Hermione! I care about you! I love you too much to let him have you! I won't sit here and watch this. Please just leave him." A tear graced Hermione's black, blue and cut face.

"It's not that easy…" she started, "… I always am about to and then he does something sweet and I remember the boy I fell in love with. The one that brought me flowers and wrote me love notes---" Ron shook his head cutting her off

"If he really loved you he wouldn't put this pain or burden on your shoulders." He answered. She stopped him this time sobbing uncontrollably.

"It was my fault really," she said hastily, "I shouldn't have even asked him about Pansy. My fault."

"None of this is your fault except you refusing to end it!" Ron said harshly.

"I can't."

"I love you Hermione! Can't you see that? Can't you understand what Malfoy is doing to you?"

"I can't do this. Please leave."

"But…"

"Just leave Ronald." She screeched.

"Draco I need to talk to you."

"Hermione! You didn't tell me you were getting out today I would have gotten you roses or something"

"It's been three weeks since I was admitted to the hospital wing, you were well informed." she said in her strictest voice, trying to cover her fear.

"What's wrong baby?" Hermione took a deep breath.

"It's over." She felt nauseous saying it.

"What?" Draco asked, tears welling.

"I said… it's over. I can't do this anymore."

"Please… no…" Draco started crying and knelt on the floor.

"Yes. I've finally had enough." She said feeling free like she hadn't in a long time. She smiled to herself and breathed a laugh, "I'm over you."

"I can't live without you baby…please don't leave me please baby, baby no." He said trough his heavy bawls. This made her look down and realize he was crying.

"Draco! Draco get off the floor!" she said weakly. He grabbed the hem of her cloak bringing it to his face, "Please don't leave me! Baby, I'm sorry! I love you… I'll be better. I'll changed, just don't give up on me baby." He said. Her heart tore. She reached to her shoulder where a large, still bloody gash was placed.

"No. It's over." And with that she tore her hem away from his hands and walked away.

Her cloak swirled around her damp body as she stood outside the Burrow in the pouring rain. She knocked tentatively on the door of the tall homely building. A lanky redhead answered the door.

"Herm-" he started but she cut him off.

"I did it. I left him." He bent down and placed a kiss on her lips. She kissed back without a second thought.

"I love you so much Hermione," he said.

"I love you too… thank you so much" she answered back the same breathless way.


End file.
